Simultaneous camera exposure and flash



Sept.y 22, 1931.- H. E. ARMsTEAD SIMULTANEOUS CAMERA EXPOSURE AND FLASH Filed Oct. 6, 1928 -2 Sheets-Sheet l www l ATTORNEYJ.

Sept 22, 1931- H. E. ARMSTEAD 1,824,030

sIuuL'rANBpUs CAMERA ExPosUgE'ANb guisa A TTORNEY Patented Sept.v 22, 1931 HARDY E. AMSTRAD, F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

BIIULTANEOUB CAMERA EXPOSURE AND FLASH Application led October 8, 1928, Serial No. 810,701.

. This invention is an improvement in portable flash light apparatus for photographic cameras adapted to be associated with a camera for causing an actually simultaneous Hash and camera exposure.

The primary object of the invention is to avoid any time lag between the Hash and the camera exposure. Apparatus has heretofore been provided wherein the Hash causes the shutter release in the camera, and also wherein pneumatic means causes the Hash and releases the shutter. But in such ap aratus there is an appreciable time la and t e time lag is sought to be overcome Y y this invention.

The chief feature of this invention consists in providing a flash light apparatus with electric means for causing the Hash including an electric circuit adapted to be connected with any make of camera without change therein so that some mechanical means in the camera, such as the .shutter releasing means or mirror re-setting means, automatically closes the circuit and releases the means for igniting the powder to cause the Hash. This causes a really simultaneous action of the Hash light apparatus and the camera ex osure free from any appreciable time la cause the current travels the length 0% the circuit instantaneously with the speed' of light, which is not true in the movement of air in neumatic tubes or in the pull of a cord. nless the Hash `and camera ex osure are actually simultaneous, naturally t e icture taken will be imperfect. Usually eit er the Hash precedes the camera exposure or follows it, because the Hash is substantially instantaneous and the shutter action exposure is also substantially instantaneous, and, un-

less they are actually simultaneous, one will necessarily'. precede the other and the Hash will be over and nothing but smoke left when the camera exposure takes place or the exposure will be over before the Hash occurs.

Another feature of the invention consists in the means for releasing the pictorial means for causing the Hash when the shutter is released and not before, so that the Hash and the exposure will be actuall simultaneous.

This is important in the use o a camera which is employed by newspaper re orters and others for taking photographs. n such cameras a reHecting mirror is used for viewing the object before the camera exposure. In the device shown herein to illustrate this invention, an arm on the mirror shaft is moved upon the release of the mirror toward the switch of said electric circuit and at the moment said switch is closed, said means releases the shutter so that the Hash' and exo0 posure will be actually simultaneous. The switch, therefore, is not closed at the be inning of the operation of the camera but a er the beginnin and at the moment of the release of the s utter. There is, theoretically, infinitesimal time required for the shutter movement but it is substantially the same as the time required for the ignition of the Hash light material, so that the exposure and the Hash are actually simultaneous. That this is so in this apparatus is evidenced by the fact that it will ta `e a picture with a light background substantiall as clear and defined as if taken with a dar background. In other words, it will operate in a room in day-time with the window curtains elevated, which would be impossible unless the exposure and Hash were actually simultaneous. The prior patents may have called attention to this need and this ideal result, but none of them could accomplish it for the reasons above stated.

Another feature of this invention is that the wiring forming the electrical connection or circuit between the Hash and the camera may be relativel long,50 or 100 feet, or 85 more,-so that, i desired, the Hash li ht ap-i paratus and the camera may be rat er far apart while takin pictures. At the same time, the electrica connection is such that the camera and Hash light apparatus can be operated by one person.

Another feature of the invention is that the electrical connection from the Hash light apparatus is readily secured to any form or type of camera without any changes in the 06 construction of the camera; and it is also readil removable therefrom for purposes of pac ng or transportation if desired. The switch ymay be mounted on the camera and the wiring plugged into the vswitch so as to be rea` connected with and as readily disconne from the switch and camera.

Another advantage of this arrangement is "i that the flash is operated by the camera and f their position after the mirror is elevated out- H t lsection through the in timed relation with the arts of the camf era. and hence the ash wi take lace only when thephotographer operates t e camera and not before he is satisfied that thepicture to be taken will be as. he wants it, or when the objects of the proposed photograph are in proper' relative positions. Also, theinere operation .of theusual camera is all that is required to operate the ilash and do soautomatically. The operation of the camera is not altered or varied because of its connection with the flash light apparatus. Also, the

camera and flash light apparatus are portablewby one person or by two persons, as dex Y sired.

vIt isllvnoted also that in this invention the operator has nothing to do with the operation of the llash light apparatus. He mezely i operates his camera'in the usual way,--

hat is, releasesor resets the mirror or shutter and the camera automatically performs the remainin operation thereof and also` oper- "ates the ash light apparatus. In fact, the

flash' li ht apparatus can be located anywhere, i electrically connected with the camera so vthe operator can choose any position an time to operate the camera and when he does operate the camera, it will automaticall cause the Hash.

, f e full nature of the invention will be lunderstood from the accompanying drawings andthe flash light apparatus with the switch attach?` ment shown in the side view, parts bein eenL trally broken away. Fig. 4 is a vertica longitudinal section through a lcamera with the parts in position vbefore taking a picture. Fig. 5 is a similar section with the parts in of the 4way, the sh'utter is released and the electric l,circuit of the flash 1i ht` apparatus is closed;` Fig. 6 is an enlarge view of arts of the shutter releasing mechanism, s own in side elevation. l l

' -Th'ere'is shown in Fig. 1 a-camera 10 in f position preliminary to taking a photograph. An electrical circuit 11 composed of the wires ll--a and 11--6 is shown with a switch plate 12 attached to the camera and having.v a. terminal pin 13 in osition to be engage by the arm .14 when it as been moved by the camera to the shutter releasing position, as hereafter explained,` and so asto close the 'to wind up the spira electric circuit. Aside from the attachment of the switch plate 12 to the camera,'the camera need not be otherwise changed. This attachment may be by an desired means, but preferably the switch ate 12 is fixedly secured to the camera an the terminals 15 and 16 of the electric wires are plugged in as shown in Fi 3, so that it will make a perfect electrica connection for closin the circuit, and yet the wirin and termina s 15 and 16 may be readily pu led out of the switch if desired.

The Hash light 4apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and .3, so far as the broad features of the invention herein are concerned,I can be of an desired construction, so lon as the flash lig t material 20 can be ignite by the cam- .era throu means operated by an electric circuit inc judin the wirin 11-'a and 11-b above mentions There is shown herein af an 21 secured upon a plate or support" dash 22 an having a relatively high rear vertical wall-2 3 through which a shaft 24 extends on which there is a knurled sparkin wheel 25 1n .position to o rate in the ash material. The sha 24 is also mounted in an upturned rear side wall from the plate 22 and it is turned b a finger piece 26 so as u spring 27 to place the knurledy sparking wheel 25 under tension.

The sparking wheel is actuated by the spring' 27, when itis released by the solenoid 28 o erthe armature lever 29 which is ell cranl shaped with one arm held by spring 129 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 30 which is in rigid relation. to the sparking" wheel 25.

As the solenoid is energized the operation ofthe armature lever will release the ratchet iight,

:susl

wheel 30 and the sparking wheel 25 will re volve. The sparking wheel is in frictional contact with a sparking metal lug 31 yieldingly held a ainst the wheel llijy the rod 32 and the spira spring 33, as shown in Fig. 3. As the sparking wheel 25 is rotated, a spark wlll be produced which will ignite the flash light material. 2 f

The Hash light apparatus has an up er casing 35 enclosing the mechanism hereto ore described and mounted upon'a battery tube 36 2y. means of ascrew cap connection 37. ithin said tube 36 there isshown several dry batteries 38, one above the other in series, and they are electrically connected with the solenoid through-the wire 40, binding post 41, spring contact 421aiid the binding post 43. The atteries areheldagainst each other by f the Aexpansion spring45 at the lower end of the battery tube 36, said spring resting upon late 46 and l pressing upward against the isk 47 throng which a terminal 48 extends that isin connection with the wire ll-a.

i 'Y "There are two switches', the one in plate 12 heretofore referred to and which is the controlling switch, and a safety switch 50 near the lower'endof the battery tube 36. It conswitch terminal 52 sists of astationary late secured on the tube 36 and having a idi' switch button 51 mounted therein adapte to move the sp A at the end of wire 11- into engagement withthe tube 36 at 136 so as to close the flash li ht circuit. This safe` ty switch is -closed pre iminary to taking phov Atographs and-` remains closed during the time for taking anyone series of photographs and at other times it is preferably o n.

The only part which is addedlleo the camera is the switch casing 12 having in one end thereof sockets 61 adapted to receive the -plug terminals 15 and 16 from the wires pin 13, as seen in Fig. 3. The spring 113 is desired, but ordinarily connected by a wire 63 with the socket 61 for wire 11a. The other terminal 64 is mounted on block 62 and is connected by line with the other socket 61 and wire 11-5. Hence, when the switch pin 13 is depressed from the o n position shown in Fig. 3, it will close t e circuit and cause a llash. y When the Hash light apparatus is not in use, the wire 11 and terminals 15 and 16 are withdrawn from the sockets 61 in the casing 12 attached to the camera.

The number of batteries may be such as there will preferably be about six dry batteries. Assumingv the lup er end of the top battery to be positiven and) the lower end of the lowest battery to be negative, the circuit passes from the positive terminal of the top battery through the post 43, spring 42, post 41, wire 40, solenoid 28 to the metal casing 35 and 36 and thence through the switch 52 and the wire 11-b, wire V60, terminals 64 and 13, spring 113, wire 63, socket 61, wire 11a to the terminal 48 at the lower end of the lower battery. However, the electric circuit can be modified within the skill of an electrical expert so far as this inven- 50 ,tion is concerned.

The switch in'casing` A12 on the camera is longitudinally adjustable to place the switch pin 13 in the desired position to be acted upon any operative part of the camera at the dysired moment, preferably the moment of s the release of the shutter. This adjustment is eifectfed by the screws and 66 extending through opposite ends of the casing 12 and roject-ing in opposite directions into the insulation block 62 whereby said block may be moved longitudinally of the casing 12 and 'held in adjusted position.

In order to illustrate -the manner of use of this invention, there is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 some of the internal construction of a y. through the focusing hood 7 nected with the camera by t e electric circuit 11 which plugs into the switch construction switch construction is secured here on the outside of the camera with the switch terminal 13-in position to be depressed b anyl part of the camera for closing the tias lig t circuit when the camera is operated.

In the camera shown in Figs. 4 and 5 there is a tilting mirror fulcrumed at 71 and held in inclined position by the latch 72, which is tri ped b the finger piece 73 when it is desired) to t e a photograph. When said mirror is in position as shown in Fig. 4, the object to be photographed is viewed 4, see Fig. 1. There vis the usual resetting arm 75 rigidlyv secured to the shaft 71 which carries the mirror 70. It is used to reset the mirror from the osition shown in Fig. 5 to'that shown in ig. 4 and in this form of camera it extends downward and normally to the rear-of the switch pin 13 for controllingthe electric position shown in Fig. 5 andwhen the mirror A is thus moved to horizontal position, it moves the resetting arm 75 to engage the switch 13 and close the flash light circuit which immediately causes the flash. At the same time, the shutter curtain is released by a cam 171 on the end of the mirror shaft 71 opposite the resetting arm 75 and which lifts bell crank lever 78 and it in turn releases the pawl 79 which holds the shutter 77 stationary against the tension of a spring 80 on the shutter roller 81 and that moves the shutter downward in front of the film or passes through the opening 82'in the shutter, the photograph is taken. The shutter releasing pawl 79 is on the pivot 83 and engages a notc in ratchet wheel 84 on the top shutter roller 85 upon which the shutter is rolled priorto takin a.l photograph. The remaining arts of t e camera, itis believed, need notl further explained here.

plate and, as the light It is noted that by this Amechanism /the A 4- by depressing the nger piece 73. The

p removes the mirror out of the path of li t from the object and while it is makingt movement,thereis an ap reciable time lag in this type of camera but t e dash lil ht :pparatus is not operated during that period time lag. It is only operated at the end of the up r movement of the mirror 70 when the arm 5 then moves ii n the switch pin A13 and closes the flash lig t circuit.

Since the shutter is'release'd atthesame moment that the flash light circuit is closed,

the mirror 70 from the tposition shown in Fig.

the exposure and Hash are actually simultaneous. The movement of the curtain is so rapid, the average time of movement thereof bein one five-hundredths of a second, that the I ash will not take place prior to theexposure, as has been the case with prior Hash light apparatus wherein the lag was so great that either the Hash would have occurred before the exposure or would not occur until lafter the exposure and no satisfactory picture be obtained. That the foregoing is true of this apparatus is evidenced by the fact that this Hash light apparatus will enable a camera to make a very Hne and distinct photograph of a person in a room standing against a window in the day time with the window curtain up or with.a light backround. The slightest variancebetween the Hash and the exposure would prevent this being done. In order that the exposure and Hash may be actually simultaneous, the position 'of the switch pin 13 with reference to the mirror resetting arm which closes the Hash light circuit is adjusted by the screws 65 and 66 so that the circuit will be closed at the instant that theshitter is released.

-No only is'the exposure and Hash actually simultaneous, but the Hash light apparatus is wholly independent of the operator, after he has connected it with the camera and properly positioned the terminal pin 13 in relation to the mirror resetting arm 75. The photographer does not operate the Hash light himself and its o eration is not affected by the inaccuracies o? the human element. The Hash light is wholly operated by the camera, and without changing the camera or its mode of operation. That makes the operation of the Hash light always accurate in time, regardless ofthe operator.

Furthermore, the operation of the Hash is not atz-the beginning of the operation of the camera, but it occurs only at the moment of release of the shutter. Time has been given for 'the mirror to be moved out of the path of the light of the object before the shutter is released and at that moment the Hash light material is` ignited by the camera. The use g of electric connection between the Hash light apparatus and the camera insures aA Hash practically instantaneous upon the closure of the electric circuit, as the electric current l moves as fast as light and faster than air or any other connection between said parts as ma heretofore have been employed.

ot only does this Hash light apparatus have the advantage above mentioned, but it is a portable apparatus for the purpose, in which the source of the electricity is in the apparatus and portable as well as the electrical connections. The height or elevation of the Hash above the camera may be such as desired by raising or lowering the apparatus. Also, the same operator may handle both the Hash light apparatus and camera and operatel them, or one person can hold the Hash light` the camera. This is a decided advantage as l one person can operate the entire combination of camera and Hash even when it is necessary to locate the Hash at a distance from the camera. The Hash light can be fasmeans obtainable. The portability of the device is facilitated by the ready separation of the Hash light apparatus by merely pulling the plugs 6l ofthe wiring out of the switch sockets on the camera, and they may be hitched together as readily by merely inserting the plugs in said sockets.

The safety switch 50 contributes to the safety of the apparatus in transportation at which time the said switch is open and is not closed until previous to the actual use of the Hash light apparatus. This arrangement renders the Hash light apparatus very reliable as there is no air or air tubes or plungers or cords or other mechanism to interfere with the operation ofthe device or reduce the reliabillty of it or cause undesirable time lag.' The apparatus is also not affected in its operation by changes in atmospheric temperature.

The invention claimed is:

1. In portable Hash light apparatus for a photographic camera, means for holding Hash light material, means for igniting said material, a solenoid for causing the operation of said igniting means, a casing enclosing the foregoing mechanism, a tube on the end of which said casing is mounted, a battery in said tube for supplying current to said solenoid, an electric circuit adapted to extend to the camera and be energized by said battery, and a switch adapted to be secured to the camera and moved into circuit closing position automatically by the camera in its operation while taking a photograph.

2. Independent portable Hash light a paratus for a photographic camera having s utter releasing means, including means for causing the Hash, electrical means for releasing the means for causing the Hash, said electrical means having circuit wires, a switch mechanism adapted to be secured to the camera and with which said wires may be temporarily connected and having a circuit closing switch member, and means in said switch mechanism for adjusting the position of said circuit closing switch member with respect to the shutter releasing means, so that it can be operated and the circuit closed automatically 80 tened or secured to any support by any by the camera at the instant of the releasing o the shutter while taking the photograph, substantially as set forth.

3. Independent portable flash light apparatus for a photofgraphic camera, including frictional means or causing the flash, electrical means for releasing the flash causing means, said electrical means having circuit wires, a manually operated safety switch in lo said flash light apparatus for controlling said circuit, a switch mechanism adapted to be secured to the camera in position for the switch to be moved into circuit closing position automatically by the camera while taking a photograph and with which said circuit wires are adapted to be temporarily connected, substantially as set forth.

4. Independent portable flash light apparatus for photographic cameras, including frictional means for causing the flash, electrical means for releasing the flash causing means, said electrical means having circuit Wires, a battery tube, batteries arranged in said tube in succession with contact points between them, and a spring for holding said batteries in contact position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a photographic camera having a shutter, a mirror, and mirao ror resetting means operatively associated with the shutter so the operation of the mirror and shutter will be simultaneous, of flash light apparatus including means for causing the flash, and electrical means for operating said flash causing means, said electrical means being connected with the camera in position to be operated automatically by the mirror resetting means thereof in its operation of taking a photograph, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with' a photographic camera having a-shutter, of flash light apparatus including means for causing a flash, and electrical means for operating said flash 4b causing means, said electrical means being connected with the camera in position to be'operated automatically by the camera in its operation of taking a photograph, said electrical connection with the camera being adjustable in its relation =t0 the movable part thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HARRY E. ARMSTEAD. 55 

